


royal runaway

by stilljunhui (acyria)



Category: MYTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fluff, M/M, Modern Royalty, Taeseop? Idk man, what are they called - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-09 18:21:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15273504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acyria/pseuds/stilljunhui
Summary: This wasn't how Junseop had envisioned his day of finally being away from the palace to go, but found that he honestly couldn't complain. Seated in a bakery with a cute boy in front of him, who would?





	royal runaway

**Author's Note:**

> I got into MYTEEN just recently and couldn't help but find these two cute. Are they a thing? Can they be a thing?  
> This doesn't have all of the MYTEEN members since I couldn't fit them in the plot seamlessly, so it's just Junseop, Taevin, Chunjin, and Eunsu. I also use Taevin's real name, Lee Sewoong, and Chunjin's which is Kim Sangjin! Their looks follow their recent SHE BAD era.
> 
> If you're here from my other stories and are wondering who they are, do check them out! You won't regret a thing! ♡
> 
> If you like my work and would like to support me, please consider buying me coffee! https://ko-fi.com/stilljunhui

“Your Highness, you know you’re not allowed to leave the palace grounds without proper supervision. There are strict rules about the matter and—“

“Of course I know, that’s why it’s called sneaking out,” the prince interrupted his aide with a wicked grin, already throwing on an oversized hoodie that he could melt into should he need to hide. Junseop looked at his reflection in the mirror, grin widening in satisfaction. He could definitely blend in with the rest of the boys his age with his current get up. Whoever invented online shopping was a genius, since he wouldn’t have been able to shop for regular clothes by himself.

Next to him, Eunsu’s expression grew more stressed with each word.

“Prince Junseop, I really can’t allow this to happen, if word gets to your mother—“

“It won’t if you don’t tell her!” Junseop said again, cutting off the elder with a bright smile. He looked positively excited; why wouldn’t he be? He’s been cooped up in the palace for most of his life, only going out when there were official royal affairs. In other words, boring parades where he was mostly confined to the car either way. He turned to face Eunsu with the smile still in place. He looked so happy that the royal aide softened a little. “You won’t tell her, right?”

After a few careful seconds, Eunsu sighed in defeat. 

“May I ask how you plan to sneak out at all? There are guards everywhere by the gate.”

“I found a crack by the garden wall I can slip through.”

“If you can slip out, other people can slip in,” the blonde noted with a frown. “Shouldn’t we get that fixed?”

The prince nodded cheerfully, “I absolutely agree with you. We can do that after I get out and back in the palace.”

His little quest to leave the palace grounds wasn’t an impromptu decision by any means. Junseop’s been planning how it would go for a few months and figuring out how to get out of the palace took him the longest time. He wasn’t going to get rid of his one ticket out. Not yet anyway since Eunsu did have a point about the safety of everybody else in the palace. He briefly wondered how he’ll get out again once the wall was fixed, though, before dismissing the thought. 

He’d be okay with just having at least one free day.

The outside world wasn’t going to be nice to him. That’s what most of the royal officials told him, anyway, along with what his family would use to scare him into staying within the palace back when he was younger. Junseop didn’t think it was going to be that bad. It’s not like he was going to announce that he was the prince or anything. He might be recognized, but that’s also why he bought a face mask and shades to go with his look.

Finally satisfied with his attire of a hoodie, jeans, and sneakers, Junseop turned towards his aide.

“Well?”

“Please don’t forget to keep your identity hidden at all times. Also, be careful of your phone at all times. Text me when you change locations. Call me if anything happens immediately and I’ll come get you,” Eunsu said seriously in response, going through even more scenarios before finally ending with a heavy sigh, realizing he was talking to a bright-eyed 20 year old. “Just be safe, Prince Junseop.”

That was good enough for Junseop, who stated he’ll be back before sundown and bid the other boy good bye, heading out his room. It was a slow day in the palace that day, the time being just a little after lunch with most of the residents resting. In other words, the perfect chance for him to head all the way to the back of the garden wall and slip out without being spotted. He thought about not telling Eunsu about it too, but that was impossible with how the aide was always around him.

Slipping through the wall felt like slipping into a different dimension altogether. 

He had to walk a bit further before he could reach the small city that surrounded the palace. Everything around him felt like it was attacking his senses. The sky was bright and clear, the trees that he could see a vivid green, the buildings that came into view reminded him just how modern the era was. Sure, he had a phone and a laptop back in the palace, but the overall interior of the place was still rather old and outdated. 

He was nearing the city when Junseop decided to ditch the sunglasses he had on. They were getting in the way of his full experience. He wanted to take everything in since he wouldn’t know when he’ll ever have the chance to return, after all. He strolled along the streets, stopping by to admire some shops here and there. He brought money with him incase he wanted to bring something home, but decided it was still too early to spend it all. Things felt like a normal, calm day. As normal as it can get for a runaway prince.

That was, until he nearly ran into a fruit stall. 

“Watch out!” 

Junseop stopped in his tracks just inches away from the wooden boxes of fruit. He was too busy looking around to actually have the time to look where he was walking towards. When he finally did look in front, he was met with another boy with pointed eyes who had a frown on his face. The brunette also had an arm stretched out across Junseop’s chest from where he stopped the prince from hitting the stall.

“If those fruit fell, you would have had to pay me for all of them,” the boy said pointedly, lowering his arm.

This was his first interaction outside of the palace, Junseop realized. There was a feeling of joy bubbling inside of him, which he tried his best to hold in since that would be weird to show—he couldn’t exactly grin widely after nearly toppling a bunch of fruits over, right? He took note of the other boy and wondered briefly if everybody he was going to meet outside the palace was going to be this cute. He wasn’t sure how exactly the conversation was supposed to go, so he settled for just saying the rest of his thoughts out loud.

“I could have afforded it,” the prince said honestly, thinking about the amount he brought with him. It could definitely afford everything with more to spare.

The boy scoffed, taking it as a joke, “please. You look like you still need to ask for allowance from your parents, how could you afford to pay for all this?” 

He gestured towards the wide array of fruits, some of which Junseop has never even seen before. Why were there so much fruit, anyway? The prince glanced up and took note of the shop some more, finally realizing that it was actually a bakery, with a small group of people inside. Next to the fruit stand was a display of various cakes and pastries, with a sign that said there was more available inside.

“I’m 20 years old. I’m fine,” he replied instead a bit awkwardly, figuring that would mean he was an adult who was fully capable of himself. He lowered his mask a little bit to further peek at the the assortment of food. Dessert sounded good right about then. He could probably stay here a bit before continuing with his day. 

“And I’m 22,” the brunette stated, but took note of how Junseop was looking around. “If I’m here trying to earn more money, you should be, too.”

Junseop nodded to show that he agreed, as he thought about how earning money was the least of his problems, thoughts distracted by the idea of dessert. 

“Can I try some cakes?”

Before the other could reply, the door to the restaurant opened and a blue haired boy appeared.

“Sewoong, the strawberry shortcakes are gone,” he said, glancing at Junseop for a moment before glancing away. “The table inside wants to order another one to bring home.”

“Be right there,” the brunette said, as the other boy headed back inside. So his name was Sewoong. Junseop’s glad he didn’t have to ask for the boy’s name himself. He wasn’t supposed to reveal his identity; while how he looked might not have been common knowledge, he was sure his name was going to ring at least some bells with how similar it sounded to the current king’s name. Still, a part of him wanted to introduce himself, regardless. Like normal people do. 

“You want to try some cakes, right? We never deny a customer,” Sewoong said more cheerfully than before, gesturing towards the restaurant. “Head inside and I’ll get to you in a bit.”

With that, Junseop found himself seated inside the quaint little bakery near the corner, which was good since it was away from the general view of the store. Customers wouldn’t be able to spot him that easily. He was waiting for Sewoong to finish the other table’s orders before doing his since his shop partner (Sangjin, he also learned while Sewoong was seating him, since he appeared again to hand the menu) hadn’t mastered it yet. They served what seemed like a variety of cakes, most of which Junseop could easily get the palace bakers to make as well, but that didn’t matter.

He settled for a slice of red velvet cake and an iced Americano, with Sangjin taking his order since the other boy was still busy.

The prince hadn’t even noticed that after taking his order, Sangjin was staring at him a few seconds longer than normal, since his thoughts drifted to admiring the bakery’s random little decor. It wasn’t until the other boy bent down to eye level, caught his attention, and suddenly said, “you look really familiar.” 

Junseop involuntarily gulped, the face mask he had on suddenly feeling heavy. 

“Really?” He asked with a small chuckle. 

“You’re going to need to get rid of the face mask before you can eat, unless you plan to get cake all over it,” Sangjin noted with a straight face right before he left. “Maybe I can tell by then.”

Oh. Right. Junseop completely missed out on that fact. He watched the table that was there before him leave as he settled into a small moment of panic. It would be rude to suddenly leave, especially because he already placed his order. Sewoong was probably already preparing it back in the kitchen. He could just hope not to be noticed? That should be fine, right?

His moment of panic was interrupted by Sewoong approaching the table with a plate in one hand and a cup on the other.

“Here you are,” he said happily, setting the food down. 

Rather than leave again, Junseop was pleasantly surprised to find that Sewoong had pulled up the chair across from him and sat down. 

“It’s a new recipe,” he said, settling down with his arms on the table. “I wanted to hear your thoughts, if that’s okay.”

It was perfectly fine, Junseop thought to himself, except for the part about revealing his face. It’s not like there was nobody else in the bakery except for the two of them at the moment, and Sangjin who was fixing stuff here and there. Deciding that he should be fine, Junseop finally pulls the mask off his face. He glanced at Sewoong to gauge his reaction and was surprised to find the same expression as before.

“My name is Junseop,” the prince said instead of a proper reply, checking to see if that would set anything off.

Sewoong blinked for a moment, but ultimately smiled, “nice to meet you. You probably heard from earlier, but I’m Sewoong.” 

Huh. Maybe he wasn’t a well known prince after all.

Junseop nodded, deciding there was nothing left for him to say, before finally taking his first bite of the cake. His eyes widened each time he chewed; it was by far better than anything he’s ever had back at the palace, which was saying something considering the quality of their food. He quickly took another bite, smiling happily.

“Is it safe to assume you like it?” 

He completely forgot about the boy seated across him for the few moments that he enjoyed his cake, snapping back once Sewoong spoke again. The older boy had a pleased smile on his face as Junseop nodded enthusiastically.

“This is the best cake I’ve ever tasted,” he said earnestly in between chewing. “You beat all the cakes I’ve tried back home.”

“Oh, are you not from around here?” Sewoong asked, which was when Junseop realized his slip up. Thankfully, what he meant as back at the palace was understood by the other as back where I’m from, which wasn’t really far off when he thought about it. The younger boy nodded as Sewoong made a sound of acknowledgement. “Where are you from then, if you don’t mind me asking? I was hoping we could make you a regular here so I could sell more cakes.”

Junseop faltered for a moment as he searched for an answer, “j-just around the area. Not from here, exactly, but near. I would love to have this every day.”

“I’d be happy to see you, too,” Sewoong replied, which did something to Junseop’s heart that he immediately labeled as dangerous. Was being kept in the palace turning him into a hopeless romantic, too? He didn’t even usually think about relationships and the sort; from a young age, he figured he’ll just be arranged into a marriage. He never liked the idea, but he definitely disliked it all the more now that he was given a chance to actually meet people. 

It was just his luck that he would end up crushing on the first person he talked to. He knew the older boy meant that he would be happy to see the prince since he was a paying customer, which Junseop repeated to himself for a few more minutes as he finished his cake. Getting rid of his fantasies, he grinned back at Sewoong.

“Can I have another slice? Or do you have another cake I can try? Can I try one of each flavour you have?”

The brunette looked at him in surprise, before chuckling, “I know I said I have to earn money, but I wouldn’t want to send you to the hospital for diabetes. Plus, we have a lot of cakes. Again, I don’t think you can afford everything.”

“I can though,” Junseop muttered softly to himself.

Sewoong must have heard him regardless, as he laughed a bit and joked, “hey, don’t tell me you’re some kind of rich guy’s son.”

Not far from the truth, the prince thought to himself, choosing to say nothing but smile as a response.

“If that’s the case, maybe you can just bring home cake for your family,” the brunette continued to say, tone still light. “If I’m lucky, they might like it enough and it’ll spread to the rest of the rich people circle.”

Junseop took a sip of his coffee, which was also pretty good, before asking again, “can I get at least one more slice of something else, then? I’ll decide which cake box to bring home after.”

The older boy regarded him with a thoughtful look for a few seconds before shrugging.

“Sure, I guess it can’t hurt. Definitely won’t hurt us. Sangjin! Can he have the menu again?”

The blue haired boy appeared with a menu just a few moments later. This time, he once again openly stared at Junseop, who could feel the boy’s gaze even without meeting his eyes. Junseop silently wished that Sangjin wouldn’t be able to tell who he was even with the mask down as he stared at the menu. He couldn’t stare at the menu forever. Nervous, he looked up towards the other boy. 

“Can I get the cheesecake?”

Sangjin’s eyes widened for a split second at the sight of his face in full view, sending panic through the prince who was about to exclaim that he could explain why he was out in the public and all, before the other resumed his straight face that even Junseop was beginning to realize was just how he usually looked. Nodding, the boy soon disappeared back to the kitchens, while the raven haired boy stared back in wonder.

There was definitely a look of recognition in his eyes. Why didn’t he say anything?

Across the table, Sewoong watched the scene unfold with open curiosity, as he waited until he got Junseop’s attention again before saying, “I don’t usually see Sangjin that nervous.”

“Ah,” Junseop began to say, chuckling awkwardly. “I wonder why.”

“He’s usually emotionless even around cute guys,” Sewoong said, a slight teasing tone to his voice that Junseop tried his best not to find flirty. He wasn’t succeeding. “This is surprising.”

It was then that he realized this could easily go two ways. He could ignore the fact that he was presented with a clearly good looking individual seated right in front of him, eat his cake, then go back home to continue his mundane life. The second option was the one that seemed more appealing the more Junseop stared at Sewoong, which was to flirt back to the best of his ability. It wouldn’t hurt. 

Except the fact that they were never going to see each other again.

“What about you?” Junseop found himself asking before he could stop himself, developing a similar teasing tone.

Sewoong smirked, “I think I’m doing pretty well right now, actually.”

Unknowingly, Junseop ended up spending more time in the bakery than he thought he would. After Sangjin arrived with his second slice of cake, he disappeared once more, never once mentioning what he knew. Sewoong also remained blissfully unaware, chatting with Junseop about things that made the prince feel normal for the first time in his life—thankfully the prince knew his fair share of random information. A few customers entered now and then that caused him to leave for a few moments, but Sewoong would always return to the table. It was nice.

The cheesecake was just as good as the previous cake, which meant he spent a few moments wondering which one he should bring back home before deciding to go with both. He could just tell the kitchens that he had the cakes delivered. While waiting for Sewoong to return from tending to another customer, Junseop was considering this when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. 

Eunsu was calling.

“Hello?” He picked up after a few moments.

“Your Highness,” came the aide’s voice from the other end. “It’s almost sundown. You should really be heading back by now.”

Junseop glanced over at Sewoong, who was still occupied.

“Can I ask for more time?”

“It wouldn’t be safe, Prince Junseop. Plus, they’ll look for you during dinner.”

Right. Junseop sighed, “fine. I’ll be back soon.”

The call ended and Sewoong was still busy with what looked like taking a lot of orders from a lady who just came in. He couldn’t exactly butt in the conversation. Glancing around and soon spotting the tuft of blue hair, Junseop decided to stand and head to where Sangjin was standing by the counter. The latter looked only slightly alarmed to see him.

“I have to go, but can I get a box each of the cakes I tried earlier?”

Sangjin nodded, “of course, Prince Junseop.”

“You really do know who I am,” the prince stated in mild surprise. 

The other boy nodded again, “I keep up with the news. I don’t think Sewoong noticed.” 

“Let’s keep it that way,” Junseop said, mostly to himself, as Sangjin nodded again and left to take care of his order. Leaving the bakery would also mean leaving all this behind, which should be for the best. It’s not like he expected Sewoong to still remember him a few days after, anyway, so revealing his identity wasn’t really going to do anything. Besides, despite how the day went, Sewoong could have just kept him company since he was alone, or since he was doing his job at the store owner. 

These were the things Junseop told himself as he made his way out the bakery.

Only to be stopped by someone—Sewoong—calling out his name.

“Junseop!”

The prince considered pretending not to hear it, but he was already turning back before he could stop himself. He really was bad at listening to his rational thoughts. Sewoong approached him quickly, finally done with discussing things with the customer from before, who followed behind him to leave the store as well. The brunette saw the customer out with a professional smile, before turning to Junseop.

“Were you leaving already?” He asked, suddenly looking more nervous than Junseop had seen him all afternoon, especially because he’s been so aloof.

The prince nodded, opting for a small smile, “yeah. I’m taking home two cakes.”

“I noticed,” Sewoong said, smiling back. He glanced around then back towards Junseop again, running a hand through his hair. A nervous gesture, Junseop noticed, trying his best not to smile at that. “If you can, drop by again once that runs out. Try out other flavours. Maybe some of our fruit specials.”

“The fruit I almost ruined,” Junseop said, lips quirking into a smile as Sewoong laughed. He ignored the steadily quickening pace of his heart as he took in the words for what they were: Sewoong asking him to come back.

The brunette grinned, “yeah, those fruit. See you again, then?”

“I’ll try my best,” the younger said instead of a no, taking note of the small breath of relief that seemed to wash away Sewoong’s nerves, glad his answer was good enough. Again, it wasn’t exactly a lie. He could always try again; Junseop just wasn’t sure if he was going to succeed. He couldn’t exactly escape every day, Eunsu would eventually die of worry. He also had the occasional royal lessons he had to attend, which took up most of his week already. 

Somehow, the walk back to the palace felt a lot quicker, almost as if didn’t even spend the day outside. Junseop still managed to sneak through the garden wall, easily making his way back to his room, greeting Eunsu along the way. He changed into his regular clothes before heading to the kitchens to store the cakes. His sister would probably enjoy those. He figured it’ll last just a week or so. 

“Anything interesting that happened outside?” Eunsu asked later that night after he finished telling Junseop his schedule for the next day.

“Other than the cakes? Not really, I guess,” Junseop said, thoughts flitting back to Sewoong for a moment. He could also still remember the sweet smell of the bakery, the bitterness of the iced coffee, and the first few minutes he shared with the baker himself. Sewoong had looked rather intimidating at first, but he turned to be a huge softie who loved to talk about his creations. Eunsu must have noticed his wistful tone.

“Your Highness, did anything else happen? You didn’t go anywhere else?”

Junseop shook his head, “I stayed there all afternoon. It’s a nice shop, really good food.”

He hesitated for a moment, before he figured he could tell Eunsu anything.

“It was owned by these two guys, Sewoong and Sangjin. They bake all their products themselves. I’m not sure if a lot of people buy from them, but there really should be. The cakes are fantastic, Sewoong makes them so well. He’s really got a talent for these things,” the prince ended up babbling, commenting more about Sewoong and his dark hair and expressive eyes.

“Prince, it sounds more like you stayed for the baker than the cake,” Eunsu said, teasingly at first, before his expression turned into a worried one once more. “You told him who you were?”

“Of course not,” Junseop answered. “The other guy, Sangjin, recognized me though.”

There was a moment of silence before the aide spoke again, “do you wish to see him again?”

Did he? The answer was definitely a yes. In the few hours they spent, Junseop was very much interested in getting to know the other boy more. Would he? That was iffy. He could sneak out every now and then, but if he ever gets caught, he’s dead. Should he? That was definitely a no. He was still a prince, after all. There were rules for this sort of thing. Even without saying anything, Eunsu knew what was on his mind, as the elder sighed. 

“I hate seeing you so sad,” the royal aide said sincerely.

“Don’t worry about it,” Junseop said, waving it off by plastering a bright grin on his face. 

The next day, Junseop found himself sneaking through the garden wall crack regardless of his apprehensions, even if he told himself the night before that he wouldn’t do it again. As always, rational thoughts out the window. This time, it was definitely more impulsive than anything else, as he even managed to sneak away from Eunsu in time to do it while the aide was busy. He received a very frantic phone call just a few minutes after he was back in the city, as the prince ensured he’ll be fine.

“I’ll just be heading to the bakery again,” the prince said cheerfully.

Eunsu groaned on the other end, “you had so much in store for today, I’ll have to reschedule them again. What will I tell the officials who will look for you?”

“Tell them I’m sick,” Junseop said dismissively, walking the path he knew that lead to the bakery. “I’ll bring back a cupcake for you or something.”

He hung up before Eunsu could nag further just as he rounded the corner that lead to the bakery, this time knowing that there was going to be a fruit stall in his way. Junseop left the palace around the same time as the day before, which meant the bakery also had a few customers still having dessert. Sangjin was the one who greeted him by the door with a look of obvious surprise.

“Are you allowed to be here again?” He blurted out immediately.

Junseop grinned, “nope. Can I sit in the same spot as yesterday?”

Sangjin led him back to the corner without another word, handing him the menu before heading off. He must have informed Sewoong that Junseop was there because a few moments later, the head baker appeared with his apron still on and some flour marks on his cheeks. Junseop couldn’t help but giggle at the sight. Sewoong scanned the bakery before his eyes finally landed on the prince and made his way over.

“You look like a mess,” the younger boy greeted cheerfully.

“I have to put in all my effort into baking those cakes,” Sewoong replied. He didn’t sit down right away like Junseop had hoped, instead he regarded the prince with a thoughtful look before continuing to speak. “I didn’t think you’d return after buying two cakes. What’s your order?”

“Maybe I’m here for something else,” Junseop said as he placed the menu down on the table, eyes twinkling in amusement at how Sewoong’s eyes widened a little and a slight flush appeared on his cheeks, before catching himself and resuming his usual air of nonchalance.

The brunette was about to say something, but was interrupted by Sangjin calling his name.

“We have to finish a few more orders. Tell Sangjin what you want instead once you’ve decided,” Sewoong explained to Junseop, who nodded silently because really—he was mainly there to see the other boy again, no matter how great their cakes were, so he wasn’t sure he could tell Sangjin that exactly—and shooed him back to the kitchen. 

The bakery felt busier compared to the day before, with customers flowing in and out, leaving both Sewoong and Sangjin with no real free time to chat with Junseop. He didn’t feel so bad about it though, as he entertained himself by watching the way Sewoong would explain the cakes to the customers or the way Sangjin still felt a little nervous being in his presence. It was an hour into his stay when the people gradually lessened, with Sewoong finally returning with a plate in hand.

“On the house,” he said with a flourish, placing down what looked like chocolate cake. “Since you still haven’t made up your mind, apparently.”

Junseop shook his head, “I can still pay. I insist. I’ve told you that I’m here for something else, anyway.”

“O-oh,” Sewoong replied, finally slipping into the seat across the younger boy. 

The prince grinned brightly, “aren’t you going to ask what it is?”

“What would it be?”

“Sangjin’s phone number,” the raven haired boy said promptly, holding in his laughter for a few seconds at Sewoong’s dejected expression, before letting it out loudly. Across him, Sewoong’s face went from sad, confused, to relieved all at once as he groaned. 

“You were joking, right?” Sewoong whined. “Please say so, I baked this cake for you and everything.”

Junseop nodded quickly, taking a hold of the fork and finally getting ready to eat the cake, “of course. Although I’m not sure if this is going too quickly, we met just yesterday.”

The older boy hummed in thought, “I’d rather not deny I’m attracted to you. I think it’s gotten more obvious. Am I safe to assume you’re here for the same reason?”

The prince paused in the middle of taking his first bite, Sewoong’s words ringing in his head. I’m attracted to you. Those weren’t words he expected to hear right off the bat, even if he was slightly hoping for it. Junseop was ultimately glad that it wasn’t weird for him to end up interested in someone he just met. Dating probably went this way for regular people; which brought him back to his bigger issue of being an actual prince. He’d hate for something to begin and get cut short.

A nagging voice at the back of his head that sounded slightly like Eunsu was telling him that continuing this was a bad idea, but every fiber of his being just wanted this one thing in his life. This one, normal thing, even if it wouldn’t turn out well in the end. Who knows, it could, right? For some reason, the more he thought about this, the louder Eunsu’s voice in his head got, saying his name.

“Prince Junseop!”

Turned out, it wasn’t in his head at all.

Junseop was momentarily saved from his mini crisis of replying to Sewoong, whom he didn’t even realized he left hanging, only to face an even bigger one as his royal aide himself was right next to their table. At least he walked into the bakery alone and without a row of guards, which was supposed to be the protocol. Still, the prince frowned,

“How did you find me here?”

“There was an address on the cake box. I’m so sorry to cut your day short, but we must go back,” Eunsu said urgently, forgetting how he had just referred to Junseop as the prince, thus giving away who he was to Sewoong. Junseop definitely took note of it though, as he glanced from Eunsu’s worried expression to Sewoong, who had his mouth slightly open in shock. The aide continued, “There’s going to be a visit from a neighbouring land, you need to be there.”

The prince took another bite of his cake before responding, mouth still half full, “and if I don’t want to?”

Eunsu hesitated, “please, Your Highness. The queen was looking for you earlier. I said you were away for your fencing lesson. She insisted your presence.”

Finally snapping back to reality, Sewoong let out an audible gasp, distracting Junseop from replying to his aide. 

“You’re the prince?!”

Junseop nodded, “Sangjin knew.”  
“Sangjin knew?!”

From behind the counter, there was a loud clash of noise. That was probably a yes from Sangjin, in his own way. Sewoong looked too shocked to continue speaking, which made Junseop feel a little bit irritated that such a good day—it was just getting good, too—had to be ruined by royal affairs again. He was so close to experiencing things like regular people, yet here he was, being dragged back to the palace again.

“Please,” Eunsu spoke again, a pained look on his face as he glanced at the nearby wall clock. “You can discuss matters another day.” 

The younger boy couldn’t help but scoff a little at that, “will you really let me out again?”

“I can’t stop you even if I tried.”

That made the prince feel a little bit better, plus a bit guilty that he was getting annoyed at Eunsu of all people when the elder had always just been looking out for him. He took a forkful of cake and shoved it towards the aide, “help me finish this cake and then we’ll leave.”

“This is crazy,” Sewoong whispered, mostly to himself, but Junseop picked up on it anyway while Eunsu dutifully helped finish the remaining bits of chocolate cake. “I’ve been flirting with the prince. The actual prince.”

“If it’s any consolation,” Junseop butted in with a grin. “I was flirting back.”

There goes the baker’s eyes going wide again as he nodded, agreeing that it did in fact, make him feel better. Junseop ate the last of his cake with help of Eunsu, who was still chewing furiously as he once again said they absolutely had to go. Junseop finally relented, sighing as he stood up to take his leave. Sewoong quickly followed suit, still looking rather shaken by the events. This wasn’t how Junseop imagined things to go. He would have been perfectly fine with Sewoong never finding out. 

“You weren’t kidding when you said you could afford all those fruit,” Sewoong was saying at realization dawned on him. “You could probably buy this whole bakery.”

“Technically,” the prince replied jokingly. “As a ruler, I own the land. I already own this bakery.”

“Damn, that’s right,” the brunette said, picking up on the lighter tone of conversation and going with it. He looked a little more relaxed after the small quip, which Junseop was thankful for. He just hoped that things with Sewoong will at least remain a little bit the same in terms of the way Sewoong treated him—flirting aside, he just saw Junseop as a regular, younger boy who liked cake. Now he’s probably The Prince in his mind, capital emphasis included.

Beside them, Eunsu cleared his throat. 

Junseop sighed loudly, “yeah, let’s go. I’ll be back, one way or another.”

He was nearly out the door when he felt fingers close around his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. Junseop turned around immediately to face the brunette, who looked surprised at his own actions as well, but the latter quickly snapped out of it enough to ask Junseop for his phone number. Sewoong released the younger’s wrist as he did so. 

“Something I should have done yesterday but forgot,” Sewoong admitted.

“Just telling you now will be no fun,” Junseop said mysteriously, before turning back towards Eunsu and quickly getting in the car that waited. He couldn’t help but smile to himself at Sewoong’s clearly confused expression. 

Beside him, the royal aide immediately asked, “what exactly did you mean by that? Why didn’t you just give him your number?”

“He knows I’m the prince now,” Junseop answered, a wicked grin forming on his lips. “I might as well have fun with it.”

**Author's Note:**

> I swear this..... wasn't supposed to be this long at all, I was aiming for simple short fic since it's my first time writing for them but???? I'm ending it there because I sort of wanted to explore things from Sewoong's POV too!!! So there's gonna be separate fic for part two eventually. This was super fun to write and I hope you had just as much fun reading it! ♡ 
> 
> If you wanna see more, hmu @fortaevin on twitter!


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